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HARD IVICKE'S SCIENCE- G OS SIP. 



approaching, it flew away before having reached the 

 sham-nectaries, and the flower visited by it was found 

 without pollen on the stigmas, and with both pollinia 

 in their cells. Mr. Midler thinks it probable that 

 this fly, if it had not been disturbed by his approach, 

 would have stepped forward on the labellum, and, 

 trying one of the sham nectaries, would have removed 

 one of the pollinia, and perhaps have transferred it to 

 the stigma of another plant. 



Botanical Notes from the Isle of Wight. 

 — Some of your readers may be interested in the fol- 

 lowing botanical notes on specimens obtained in the 

 Isle of Wight early in June. Taking Ventnor as a 

 starting-point, there are a great number of plants to 

 be found, either by rambling through the beautiful 

 landslip between Bonchurch and Luccombe Chine 

 to the Shanklin Copse, or by ascending the steep 

 sides of St. Boniface Down through the Rew Wood, 

 and returning to Ventnor by St. Lawrence and the 

 cliff. In either case, by walking about five miles, 

 the diligent collector will be rewarded with a great 

 variety of flowers — some necessarily common, others 

 of rare occurrence. In the more shaded parts of the 

 landslip I obtained specimens of Epipaclis latifolia, 

 or broad-leaved Helleborine ; Listera ovata (Tway- 

 blade) ; Ophrys apifera (Bee Orchis) ; Orchis metadata 

 (Spotted Orchis); Orchis latifolia (Marsh Orchis); 

 also, half-withered masatla (early Purple Orchis) ; the 

 Iris fcetidissima, or Purple Iris ; Chlora perfoliata 

 (Perfoliate yellow-wort) ; Hypericum perforatum (St. 

 John's Wort); Anthyllis vulneraria ; Lathy rus 

 pratensis ; Hippocrepis comosa ; Lotus comiculatus ; 

 Lychnis Flos-cuculi ; L. diurna ; L. vespertina ; 

 Silcne inflata ; Geum itrbanum ; Anagallis arvensis, 

 Lysimachia nemorum ; Ononis arvensis ; Tamus 

 communis ; Galium cruciatum ; Scrophularia 

 nodosa ; Geraniums (3), Veronicas (2), Myosotis (2) ; 

 Epilobium palustre. These were the plants actually 

 in flower, but I observed many just in bud, or, on 

 the other hand, already faded ; among the latter the 

 Garlic had evidently been out in profusion near 

 Luccombe. On the Ivy the parasitical Orobanche 

 major (Greater Broom Rape) is found in great quanti- 

 ties ; and altogether, during a hurried search, I col- 

 lected thirty-two different species between Ventnor 

 and Luccombe Chine. From Luccombe Chine a 

 footpath leads over a couple of fields across the 

 .Shanklin road to the copses beyond, here I found 

 Aspcrida odorata (Sweet Woodruff) ; Tragopogon 

 pratensis (Goat's-beard) ; Cornus sanguinca (Dog- 

 wood) ; Salvia verbeuaca (Wild Sage) ; Reseda 

 Lutcola (Dyer's Rocket) ; Tormentilla officinalis 

 (Tormentil) ; Fragaria vesca (Strawberry) ; Linum 

 perenne (Flax), growing in the fields ; Euphorbia 

 amygdaloides (Spurge) ; Cynoglossum officinale 

 (Hound's-tongue) ; Rhinanthus Crista-galli (Yellow 

 Rattle); Pedicularis palustris (Dwarf Red Rattle); 

 Lonicera Peridymcnum (Woodbine); Ligustrum 



vulgan (Privet), and other common plants. Re- 

 turning to Ventnor over the downs, I found Gentiana 

 campestris in abundance ; Polygala vulgaris, or Milk- 

 wort, red, blue, and white ; Gymnadenia conopsea, 

 or Sweet-scented Orchis ; P. spinosissima, and the 

 Sweet-briar; Helianthemum vulgaris, or Rock Rose; 

 Onobrychis saliva (Saintfoin) ; Thymus Scrpyllum 

 (Thyme) ; also masses of handsome Foxglove. 

 Starting in the opposite direction, walking through 

 the Rew Wood, I obtained Ophrys muscifera after 

 careful search, but almost faded ; possibly three 

 weeks earlier it might be found more easily. The 

 Habeuaria bifolia (Butterfly Orchis) is plentiful in 

 this wood ; Melampyrum pratense is common enough ; 

 also further on towards St. Lawrence the peculiar 

 Melampyrum arvense, or purple Cow-wheat, which 

 is almost confined to the Isle of Wight ; Hypericum 

 pulchrum also I found here. At St. Lawrence grows 

 Cotyledon umbilicus ; the rare Matthiola incana (or 

 Wild Stock) ; Armeria maritima (Thrift) ; the rare 

 Silcne noctiflora (Night-flowering Catchfly) ; Jasione 

 montana ; Humulus Lupulus. Other flowers I have 

 not given the names of; but, altogether, in two 

 mornings' ramblings I collected over eighty different 

 species. Going somewhat further from Ventnor the 

 Sundew, Asphodel, Bog Myrtle, Bog Bean, and other 

 interesting plants are to be found. — C. Parkinson. 



Chemical Imitations of Vegetable Dyes. — 

 In 1868 the manufacture of alizarine from coal-tar 

 refuse was discovered, and thus the madder-dye was 

 artificially imitated, and quite a new industry sprung 

 up. No other vegetable dyes have been chemically 

 imitated, until a few weeks ago, when synthetic 

 chemistry obtained another great triumph, in the 

 production of dyes identical with those of the Indigo 

 plant (Lsatis tinctoria). The discovery is due to Pro- 

 fessor A. Baeyer, the successor at Munich to Baron 

 Liebig. The name of Indigotine has been given to 

 this new dye. 



Arum itAlicum. — This plant has only been 

 recorded from the Isle of Wight, and most of the 

 specimens distributed have been cultivated ones. My 

 attention was drawn to an arum growing near Pen- 

 zance, by Dr. Ralfs, which he believed was A. 

 italicum. It was the first living specimen I had seen, 

 and I found it was the same form I had noticed near 

 Helston, in Penrose Wood, where it grows in con- 

 siderable quantity. I had put it down as a variety 

 of the common form. I have tried to dry a few 

 specimens but they are most troublesome. — James 

 Curnoch, Helston. 



New Cheshire Localities for Rare British 

 Plants. — Ophrys apifera, Sandiway, Mid Cheshire. 

 Geranium pyrenaicum, by the roadside, Hartford. 

 Corydalis solida, Sutton-by-Aston. Vinca minor, 

 Roadside, Over. Viola Reichenbachiana, Crowton. 

 Scrophularia vernalis, Weaver Valley. Cystoptcris 



